Method and apparatus for making bags



Nov. 28, 1967 E. M. KUGLER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BAGS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 18, 1963 INVENTOR. f/WAA/UEL M Kl/GLEB ATTORN575 Nov. 28, 1967 E. M. KUGLER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BAGS 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 18, 1963 O a A United States Patent 3,354,795METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BAGS Emanuel M. Kugler, 124 RichmondPlace, Lawrence, N.Y. 11559 Filed Feb. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 259,313 6Claims. (Cl. 93-8) The invention here presented is broadly in the fieldof the flexible packaging art; more particularly it presents a processand method for the manufacture of a bag for the, storage and display ofarticles of merchandise; and in detail, it is concerned with acontinuous method of manufacture of a bag with a reinforcing stripcontained within the header end thereof.

Bags or flexible packages manufactured from a plastic material such aspolyethylene or the like, are well known. conventionally, such bags mayhave a reinforcing strip as of cardboard, or the like, within one end ofthe bag. The reinforcing strip will supply shape and strength to thefinished bag and allow the same to be displayed on a rack or the like.

The fabrication of a flexible bag of this type presents several obviousdiificulties. The conventional process of fabricating such a bag is tosimultaneously advance a fiat film of the material to be utilized toform the bag, together with a continuous strip of the reinforcingmaterial. The film may then be folded about the reinforcing strip,sealed, and severed in order to form the finished bag.

This is, of necessity, an expensive and inefiicient technique. Forexample, it is difficult to space the reinforcing strip at the fold ofthe film. If the reinforcing strip is not properly located, the finishedbag will be defective.

Additionally, in that the film must be folded about the reinforcingstrip, it will be necessary to commence production from a flat film ofbag material rather than a flattened tube thereof, or a preformeddoubled over strip. These latter configurations are often more readilyavailable and sometimes more economical to obtain. Additionally, it is,at times, impossible to commerce production from a web of flat sheetmaterial as when such a flat sheet is wider than the available rollersfor the machine or for the necessary printing press.

Still further, the known processes and methods of manufacture of thedescribed type of package, require necessarily expensive and complicatedspecial equipment such as for severing and sealing. For example, afterthe reinforcing strip is inserted within the folds of the film ofmaterial, it will be necessary to sever the reinforcing strip intoindividual lengths; one of each lengths for each finished bag. Thissevering of the reinforcing strip must be accomplished by a separate diewhich must be able to cut through not only the reinforcing strip, butthe film of doubled over bag material. Such a separate die for cuttingplastic film together with the reinforcing strip, is diflicult to designand utilize, Additionally, the use of a die to. cut through the web ofplastic material and the cardboard reinforcing-strip does not permit thesealing of the front and back walls of the bag togetherin the area ofthe reinforcing strip. This is in that the reinforcing strip ofnecessity, must support the front and back walls in this area. Thisnon-sealing of an area of the bag leads to many undesirable results. Forexample, dirt or other contamination may collect in the reinforcingstrip portion of the bag. In addition to being unsightly, this willprohibit the use of certain types of reinforcing strips and 'ice willmake necessary the provision of a seal line below the reinforcing stripto prevent the dirt from entering the main portion of the bag.

Furthermore, it will sometimes be desired to insert special reinforcingstrips within the folded over bag material. For example, a premium itemsuch as a pencil or a ruler, may function as a reinforcing strip withinthe bag, while being packaged in the header end thereof. It will not bepossible to utilize such an item as a reinforcing member if the bag isfabricated according to the above-described present techniques.

It is a cardinal object of this invention, therefore, to provide animproved production technique for the fabrication of a flexible packagewith a reinforcing strip inserted at the header or upper end thereof.

It is another primary object hereof to describe a more versatile methodof fabricating flexible packages and inserting reinforcing strips, orthe like, therein.

With these objects in view, the invention consists of the novel featuresof construction and arrangement of parts which will appear in thefollowing specification and recited in the appended claims, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings in which the same referencenumerals indicate the same parts throughout the various figures and inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a machine to carry out the method disclosedherein with the component parts illustrated primarily diagrammatically.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view primarily of the reinforcingstrip feeding mechanism taken substantially along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3, is a sectional elevational view taken substantially along line3-3 of FIG. 2 and illustrating the reinforcing strip feeding mechanismin particular.

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of a folded over web of bag materialwith reinforcing strips therewithin illustrating the first steps of themethod of manufacture of the product of this invention.

FIG. 5 is a View corresponding to FIG. 4 but illustrating a further stepin the manufacture of a finished bag.

FIG. '6 is a front elevational view of a typical bag manufacturedaccording to this invention.

FIG. 7 is an elevational sectional view of a finished bag constructedaccording to this invention taken substantially along line 77 of FIG. 6.

' FIG. 8 is an enlarged side fractional view of the bag illustrated inFIGS. 6 and 7 as it would appear with a bulky item stored therewithin. I

-Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, there is illustrateda machine having embodied therein the principal features of theinvention, and which is particularlyadapted to fabricate a flexiblepackage with a reinforcing strip at the header end thereof, asillustrated in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8.

The machine of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 may be supported on any suitable fname(not illustrated).

The web of material 11 for forming the bag 52 may be supplied in theform of a continuous doubled over strip with a fold 14 from a supplyroll 15.

Although the material is not described in detail, it will be preferableto utilize a heat scalable material, such as polyethylene, or the like.

It will be noted that although the process herein described commenceswith a doubled over sheet of material, it could equally well commencewith a flattened tube of material or even a single sheet thereof.

If la flattened tube is utilized, it will merely be necessary to openone end thereof by means of any cutting apparatus. If a single sheet isutilized, it will only be necessary to fold the same over any of theconventionally available forming boards to produce a doubled over strip.

No matter how supplied, however, the doubled over web of material 11 maybe advanced to a plurality of feed rollers 16, 17 and 18, which may betilted somewhat from the horizontal as seen in FIG. 2. Thus, theadvancing folded web of material 11 will be advanced so that the fold 14thereof will be substantially lower than the opposite open end 12thereof. As will be described in detail hereinafter, this willfacilitate the insertion of the reinforcing strip 22 into position.

Of'course, this tilting of the web of material 11 from the horizontal isoptional as are many other features of this invention.

fThere will be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 one exemplary embodiment of adevice for feeding the reinforcing strip 22 to the interior of thefolded web 11 of bag forming material.

There is illustrated in FIG. 3 two cooperating endless conveyor belts 24and 25' with a relatively small gap 26 therebetween. The said endlessbelts 24 .and 25 will constitute feed and guide means for successivereinforcing strips 22. Each of the conveyor belts 24 and 25 will bemounted over pairs of rollers A and B, and A and B, one of which is adriven roller.

As will be seen, the entire conveyor belt system abovedescribed will berelatively thin so that the opposite and confronting sides of the foldedweb 11 may pass above and below the same. The rollers may be connectedby any suitable rigid connecting members 19 and 20 to insure properpositioning within the advancing folded web As with other features ofthe invention, the conveyor belt system previously described and thereinforcing strip mechanism to be described immediately hereinafter, areoptional as other well known equivalents can be substituted therefor.For example, air suction transport means of any of several well knowntypes could be substituted for the conveyor belt system.

Provided in an operative position adjacent the conveyor belt system willbe a standard 70 supporting a roll 71 of the reinforcing material 72 ina continuous form. Although the roll 71 herein shown is to one side andbelow the conveyor belt, it could equally well be positioned above or toany side thereof. In the exemplary embodiment depicted, the continuousstrip is fed over a pair of drive rollers 75 and 76 to be urged over acutting support 78. Above the conveyor belt end of the cutting support78 will be a periodically descending knife 80 adapted for controlledvertical movement. In the exemplary embodiment depicted therefore, whena predetermined length of the reinforcing strip 22 is extended past theknife 80, the said knife 80 will be caused to descend against thecutting support 78 causing a predetermined width of the reinforcingstrip 22 to be severed and to fall on the lower conveyor belt 25. Thesaid reinforcing strip 22 will then be urged between the conveyor beltsystem downward toward the discharge end thereof.

The above-described apparatus has been illustrated, however, merely inan exemplary manner. It is contemplated that other individualreinforcing strip feeding mechanisms may be utilized. For example, astack of pre-cut reinforcing strips may be fed to the web 11 by theconveyor belt system. This system will be especially advantageous inconjunction with the use of special premium items as a header such as apencil, ruler, phonograph record, die cut cardboard, or any one of amyriad of other like items.

It is onlyimportant that the reinforcing strip 22, no matter what be itsshape or form, whether pre-cut or not, be laterally fed within a foldedover sheet of continuously advancing web material 11. It is this featurewhich is the gist of the invention and which accounts for the manyadvantages flowing therefrom. It is further contemplated that specialreinforcing strips may be provided, such as ;a folded piece of cardboardenclosing a fragile item, such as a phonograph record.

As previously described, the discharge end of the conveyor belt system,will be positioned in juxtaposition with the interior of the fold 14 ofthe continuously advancing Web 11. As the reinforcing strips 22 aredischarged from the lower end of the conveyor belt system, they will bedeposited within the interior of the folded Web 11 at the fold 14.

Successive reinforcing strips 22 now deposited within the folded web 11will continue their advance along with the said web.

As will be seen primarily in FIG. 3, the optional do wn ward tilt belowthe horizontal of the fold 14 will insure that the successivereinforcing strips 22 are impinged directly against the said fold.

In certain embodiments of the product to be formed, it may be desirableto staple the reinforcing strip 22 in position within the folded overweb of material 11. For this purpose, an automatic stapler 81 may beprovided adjacent the fold 14 in the area of the conveyor belt system.Thus, as each reinforcing strip 22 is fed into position within the web11, it may be secured in position as by either a lateral or longitudinalstaple 80.

After leaving the conveyor belt system station, the folded web 11together with the reinforcing strips 22 therebetween, will be advancedbetween a plurality of rollers 34, 35 and 36 as seen in FIG. 2, to bereturned to a substantially horizontal position.

The order of the steps to be described hereinafter are merely preferredand not limiting. It is realized that the order of certain of thesesteps may be altered for specific purposes.

The continuously advancing folded web 11 with the reinforcing strips 22therewithin may be fed to a vertically reciprocating perforating member38 having a plurality of projections at its lowermost edge. Thevertically reciprocating member will periodically be caused to descendon the advancing folded web 11 therebelow causing a line of perforations39 to be formed therein. 7

The perforating member 38 may be rotary instead of reciprocating as mayother members to be described hereinafter.

As will be again mentioned, this line of perforations 39 may permit thereinforcing strip area of the finished bag to be removed when notdesired.

For certain purposes, as when forming a side gusseted bag as disclosedparticularly in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 of the drawings, an area of the foldedweb 11 adjacent the fold 7 line 14 and longitudinally between thereinforcing strips 22 may be severed and removed. For this purpose, avertically reciprocating die 40 with an electrically heated seal wire 41therewithin will be positioned to periodically intersect the advancingfolded web 11. As will be seen in FIG. 4, the advancing web 11 with thereinforcing strips 22 therewithin will now have cutouts 42 adjacent thefold 14, with the area of the cutouts 42 heat sealed together thusretaining a closed upper end of the bag. This result is an importantfeature of the invention as it could not be obtained utilizing the priorart processes and machinery.

For display purposes or the like, the finished bag may be hung on adisplay rack or the like. For this purpose, a central opening 44 may bepunched through the folded web 11 and the reinforcing strip 22 by avertically recipe rocating punch die 45.

After leaving the punch die 45 the folded Web 11 and the reinforcingstrip 22 will appear as illustrated to the left of FIG. 4. There nowremains to only seal and sever the web 11 along portions to form thefinished bag.

The web 11, being of a heat scalable material, may be simultaneouslyheat sealed and severed by a hot wire knife conventionally known in theart. Such a hot wire severing and sealing device is shown at 50 inFIG. 1. The vertically reciprocating severing and sealing device 50 willperiodically descend on the advancing web 11 therebelow along a line 53perpendicular to the direction of movement thereof, causing the lengthsof the web 11 to be severed and the opposite ends of the severedportions to be sealed. This severing and sealing may be accomplishedseparately however, especially when using certain materials which do notpermit these functions to be accomplished simultaneously.

Simultaneously, a vertically reciprocating sealing device 51 willdescend along a line 63 substantially parallel to and directly below theline of perforations 39 sealing the confronting faces of the web 11. Inplace of the reciprocating device 51, a band, rotary, or even a sonicsealing device may be utilized.

It will be realized that this sealed line 63 may be eliminated for thepurposes of this invention in that the reinforcing strip 22 will beentirely sealed within the bag. In the prior art, in that thereinforcing strips were contained within an open passage, this seal line63 is necessary to isolate the reinforcing strip passage from theremainder of the bag.

The formed bags 52 will now be fed to a faster moving end conveyor belt54, where they will be separated for stacking or use.

There will be seen then that there is described hereinabove a method forcontinuously forming bags 52 of almost any shape or size. It will berealized that the method is versatile and many variations of the productformed herein are possible.

For example, it is contemplated that adhesive may be applied to thereinforcing strips 22 prior to insertion into the interior of the foldedweb 11. This will insure that the reinforcing strips 22 remain inposition thereafter. Alternately, the reinforcing strips 22 may becoated with a heat scalable material and may then be joined to the bagby any heating device so as to present a smooth laminated appearance.

It is further contemplated that should the adhesive mentionedimmediately above be applied, it will be possible to eliminate thelateral heat seal directly below and parallel to the line ofperforations 39.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 it will be seen that abag 52 constructed according to the embodiment of the invention hereindisclosed, will have advantages never heretofore attainable inmass-produced bags.

The cutouts or notches 42 on either side of the bag in the area of thereinforcing strip 22 will permit the bag 52, when filled with bulkymerchandise, to expand out to provide substantial thickness so as tocontain the article within the bag 52 in substantially smooth andwrinkle-free condition. In expanding out, the side edges of the bag willmove inwardly with respect to the bag width, with parallel movements,and it will be found that a pleat will be formed at the top and shoulderportions of the bag.

Of course, still additional advantages may be obtained from a bagconstructed according to the instant invention.

For example, the reinforcing strip can be in the form of a protectiveenclosure containing an item such as a phonograph record or the like.When fed to the interior of the advancing folded web, the reinforcingstrip will not only serve to stiffen and shape the bag, but to enclosean item packaged therewithin.

Additionally, the bag may be provided with a central longitudinallyextending heat seal zone, and the reinforcing strip can be supplied inmultiple, so that the finished bag may be severed into individualportions for special merchandising techniques.

In any of the embodiments hereinbefore described, the reinforcing strips22 may be removed from the remainder of the bag without damage to theremainder of the bag by severing the same along the line of perforations39.

6 Additionally, a suitable grommet or tag may be inserted within thecentral opening 44 for display or other purposes.

While it is preferred to employ a reinforcing strip 22 of v a relativelystiff material, such as cardboard, or the like, it is within the scopeof this invention to utilize other reinforcings, such as tapes, orcords, etc.

In the above-described exemplary embodiment of the invention, there wasshown and described a device which may be either intermittent or rotaryto fabricate one reinforced bag at a time. It will be realized, however,that it will be possible to fabricate two such bags at a time from asingle doubled over sheet of material. This may be accomplished by adouble mechanism as set forth heretofore.

While there are above disclosed but a limited number of embodiments ofthe structure and product of the invention herein presented, it ispossible to produce still other embodiments without departing from theinventive concept herein disclosed, and it is desired, therefore, thatonly such limitations be imposed on the appended claims as are statedtherein, or required by the prior art.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for continuously forming a series of flexible bags ofthe type having a reinforcing strip at one end thereof, which machine ischaracterized by a mechanism for advancing a continuous folded web ofmaterial having superimposed walls and and an integral longitudinalfold, a reinforcing strip feeding mechanism for inserting individual andseparated reinforcing strips within said superimposed walls of saidfolded web of material adjacent the fold thereof, means to seal themating surfaces of said folded web walls together along local andseparated areas commencing between successive reinforcing strips andcorresponding to bag width intervals in a cross direction to themovement of said web, and means to segment said web at each of saidlocal and separated areas to form individual bags.

2. A machine for continuously forming a series of flexible bags as setforth in claim 1, wherein said means to segment are both comprise-d of asingle hot knife.

3. In a machine for continuously forming a series of flexible bags ofthe type having a reinforcing strip at one end thereof, which machine ischaracterized by a mechanism for advancing a continuous folded web ofmaterial having superimposed walls and an integral longitudinal fold, areinforcing strip feeding mechanism for inserting individual andseparated reinforcing strips within said superimposed walls of saidfolded web of material adjacent the fold thereof, severing and sealingmeans to remove the portions of said Walls of said web between each ofsaid separated reinforcing strips while sealing the remainingconfronting edges of said walls of said web together about the peripheryof said removed portion, and means to seal the remainder of the matingsurfaces of said folded Web walls along separated lines commencing fromeach of said cutout portions in a cross direction to the movement ofsaid web, and means to segment said web along each of said separatedlines to form individual ags.

4. The method of continuously fabricating a flexible bag of the typehaving a reinforcing strip at one end thereof, characterized by thesteps of, advancing a continuous folded web of material havingsuperimposed walls and an integral longitudinal fold, feeding successiveseparate reinforcing strips laterally between said superimposed wallsand depositing the same adjacent the longitudinal fold thereof, andsealing the mating walls of said folded web together along separatedareas corresponding to bag width intervals in a cross direction to themovement of said web and separating said web at each of said areas toform individual bags.

bag of the type having a reinforcing strip at one end thereof,characterized by the steps of, advancing a continuous folded web ofmaterial having superimposed walls and an integral longitudinal foldfeeding successive separate reinforcing strips laterally between saidsuperimposed walls and depositing the same adjacent the longitudinalfold thereof, removing the portion of said folded web between siadsuccessive reinforcing strips, and sealing the mating Walls of saidfolded web together along separated areas corresponding to bag widthintervals in a cross di- 8 rection to the movement'of said webcommencing from each of said removed portions of said web, andseparating said web at each of said areas to form individual bags.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,714,416 8/ 1955 Fener.2,796,913 6/ 1957 Fener et al. 2,971,874 2/1961 Canno. 10 3,105,41710/1963 Hammer 93-35 BERNARD STICKNEY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK E. BAILEY, WHITMAN A. WILTZ,

Examiners.

1. IN A MACHINE FOR CONTINUOUSLY FORMING A SERIES OF FLEXIBLE BAGS OFTHE TYPE HAVING A REINFORCING STRIP AT ONE END THEREOF, WHICH MACHINE ISCHARAACTERIZED BY A MECHAISM FOR ADVANCING A CONTINUOUS FOLDED WEB OFMATERIAL HAVING SUPERIMPOSED WALLS AND AN INTEGRAL LONGITUDINAL FOLD , AREINFORCING STRIP FEEDING MECHANISM FOR INSERTING INDIVIDUAL ANDSEPARATED REINFORCING STRIPS WITHIN SAID SUPERIMPOSED WALLS OF SAIDFOLDED WEB OF MATERIAL ADJACENT THE FOLD THEREOF, MEANS TO SEAL THEMATING SURFACES OF SAID FOLDED WEB WALLS TOGETHER ALONG LOCAL ANDSEPARATED AREAS COMMENCING BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE REINFORCING STRIPS ANDCORRESPONDING TO BAG WIDTH INTERVALS IN A